Operation: MATCHMAKER
by xSPiNx
Summary: Team Rocket gets a new assignment to capture Pikachu - make Ash fall in love, and he’ll forget all about pokemon training. Perfect, right? … Right! Then again, things never come easy for our favorite villains… Romance and Humor, Pokeshippy, Rocketshippy
1. One ll Debriefing

**Summary:** Team Rocket gets a new assignment to capture Pikachu -- make Ash fall in love, and he'll forget all about pokemon training. Perfect, right? … Right?! Then again, things never come easy for our favorite villains… Romance & Humor, Ash & Misty, Jesse & James.

**A/N: **Woah, it's been a long time since I've had enough free time to write something new! Actually, I didn't even have enough time to read anything… but now that school's on a break, maybe I'll actually get something done. :-P

I'm putting "Masked Intentions" on hold for a while -- the idea for the story kinda excited me when I first thought of it, but now I'm not in the mood to write it! I feel more comfortable writing romantic comedies, not serious mystery things! I'll pick the story back up when I feel more comfortable with it… so for now, here's another idea that's been swirling around in my head! It's a romantic comedy, a kind of WAFFY (warm and fuzzy) fic, meaning fluff! :-P

**Disclaimer:** Nope, not mine. :-)

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**Operation: MATCHMAKER**  
_By: xSPiNx  
_---------------------------------------------------

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**Chapter One: Debriefing**  
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"Pikachu, you know what to do…" Ash yawned lazily, swatting at the air.

Pikachu, who had donned sunglasses and was lounging in a miniature sized lawn chair sipping a small beverage, complete with a tiny umbrella, looked up. He sighed. "Pikachu…" he muttered halfheartedly, letting out a small crackle of static electricity. The yellow bolt of energy quickly zigzagged through the air and found it's target -- two trainers and their Meowth -- and the unlucky trio were promptly blown into the air.

"Look's like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaiiin…"

Brock watched as the would-be criminals faded off into a twinkling star in the distance, shaking his head. "It gets easier every time." He brightened up. "Anyone up for lunch?"

Yes, throughout Ash's weird, somewhat funny, somewhat annoying relationship with Team Rocket, it _had_ gotten easier every time. It had started dubiously enough -- an almost successful attempt at a Pokemon Center robbery -- but their plans had slowly evolved into botched campaigns involving rubber gloves and 10 foot deep holes. They had gone through countless numbers of Meowth Balloons, Gyarados Ships, and everything else in between.

And then there was the motto.

"_Maybe,_" Ash mused, "_If they didn't say that stupid motto every time they tried to do something, their plans would actually work_." He stretched his legs, and watched as Pikachu lazily continued tanning. He smiled, the smell of Brock's cooking slowly wafting towards his nose. And then he frowned, his eyes catching a beautiful -- yet deadly -- sight.

Misty.

If Ash's relationship with Team Rocket had been hard, then his relationship with Misty had been as hard as a metapod on steroids.

For one, the girl always thought she was right. Two, she loved starting arguments. And three, well, she always thought she was right! Not a good combination.

Ash didn't know what he saw in her, anyway.

He caught himself mid-thought, shaking his head. "_Wait a minute! I don't see _anything_ in her! She's a…" _-- he made a disgusted face -- "_a GIRL!!!_" He forced his eyes to stop looking at her, tearing his gaze away. Not that it mattered, though -- in a few seconds, his vision had returned to the young lady, who was now playfully joking with Pikachu.

Ash couldn't help himself but smile. Pikachu was usually a good judge of character, and the electric rodent had taken an instant liking to Misty.

Maybe she wasn't that bad.

"ASH KETCHM!!!" Her screech was as bad as nails on a chalkboard, the squeal of a microphone being held to close to a speaker, the squeak of Styrofoam being rubbed together, or, the worst of all - Butch's voice. Ash felt himself involuntarily shudder.

Or then again, maybe she was.

"What?" Ash asked, the annoyance evidence in his tone. "What did I do _this_ time?"

He hated fighting, and especially fighting with her. But sometimes, it was like yelling was the only thing she responded to.

"I've been chatting with Pikachu here," she smiled sweetly, trying to conceal her irritation. Ash didn't buy it.

"…And?"

"And," she turned on Ash, her voice still dangerously sweet, "He might of accidentally let slip that you have something planned." She took three long strides forward, closing in on Ash. She jabbed a finger in his chest. "Where are we headed?"

Ash shot Pikachu a deadly look. Pikachu, who had been trying unsuccessfully to make himself look smaller and hide behind a rock, glanced up at Ash innocently and waved at him.

"Well…?"

"I told you already!" Ash snapped back defensively. "We're just headed back to Pallet so I can… drop something off for my mom." He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head.

Misty stared at Ash quizzically. Something was definitely going on, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. If only Ash wasn't the irresponsible, immature kid that he was, then everything would be _so _much easier. She chuckled to herself. Then, she noticed how much she had actually closed in on Ash. In fact, there was hardly any space between them at all… and from here, she noticed that even thought he still _acted _like a little kid, he didn't look like one anymore. He had grown taller, his features had matured, and his voice had grown deeper. But, Misty noted, he still had the same eyes. Those same determined, though somewhat confused, deep brown eyes. She smiled.

"What are you looking at? And what are you smiling for?" Ash's voice brought her back into reality. He moved around, trying to get out of her range of vision.

"Oh, nothing," she said, in her sugary voice.

"But weren't you staring at my head?"

"Exactly. Where your brain should be." With another overly sweet smile and a toss of her head, Misty left Ash to ponder.

"Huh?" Ash cocked his head, confused. Realization dawned upon him. "HEY! Whaddya mean by that?!" But it was too late. And as much as he hated to admit it, that had been a pretty good comeback. He mentally added another thing to his list. Four -- she always won her arguments, no matter what.

He hated that the most.

-----

A battered, bruised, and broken Team Rocket lay underneath an enormous tree, nursing their wounds. They were experts at it now, considering that they had done it so many times before.

Jesse grinned ruefully, in spite of herself. "_If only they gave out awards for bandaging a wound,_ _James and I would win the prize!"_ She winced as she rubbed some medicine on a small bump that the ground had graciously given her when it had broken her fall. The _serious_ wounds were usually few and far between, but for some reason, it was the little scrapes and bruises that still hurt the most.

Kind of like life.

Take today, for example. Sure, they usually came out of their "battles" (if you could call them that) with Pikachu relatively unscathed, but it was the little things that bothered Jesse. Her perfect ensemble of the Team Rocket uniform usually came out with a little less fabric then it went in with, and -- she shuddered -- the part when "Team Rocket blasted off again" did horrors to her hair.

As she sat nursing her wounds, she heard something she never expected: a videophone.

Ring Ring Ring! Ring Ring Ring! Phone call! Phone call!

James shrieked, jumping into Jesse's arms. She gave him a curious look, and came to a quick conclusion.

BOOM

She dropped him.

If looks could kill, then Jesse would definitely be dead -- no doubt about it. But, rubbing his backside as he slowly lifted himself off of the ground, James knew better than to try anything. Instead, he decided to change the subject. "Where'd the videophone come from?"

Jesse shrugged, brushing off her hands. "Who knows? Strange things always pop out of nowhere on television and in fan fiction. It's convenient."

"Oh yeah."

_That_ problem being resolved, the two trainers and their Meowth stared at the phone blankly.

Ring Ring Ring. Ring Ring Ring. Phone call! Phone call!

Meowth's ears twitched in anticipation. "Will one of ya's answer it already?!"

Indignantly, with a soft "hmph" and her nose turned slightly toward the sky, Jesse tentatively picked up the receiver. "…Hello?"

Like magic, as soon as the receiver was lifted off of it's pedestal, the screen started to buzz and glow, a picture slowly starting to focus. But Team Rocket knew who was calling even _before_ the picture came up. The identity of the mysterious caller was evident as soon as he spoke -- which was quick, because he didn't wait for so much as a hello when Jesse answered the phone.

"Listen up," a gruff voice from the end of the receiver barked. "We've got a new plan."

The picture on the video screen started to focus, giving Team Rocket a good picture of who they were talking to. Wait, that was misleading. The screen focused, but because their boss was totally enshrouded in shadows, Jesse and James only saw the boss's hand, which was stroking what seemed to be two gleaming yellow eyes. A red flash of a gem quickly confirmed what the weird thing was -- Persian.

Meowth could feel himself growling subconsciously. And that was a bad thing -- only _dogs _growled. Meowth's lips curled upward.

"--But you have to be willing to do something very, _very_ difficult." Jesse and James could feel the boss's shrewd eyes observing them, even from behind the safety of the videophone.

"Sure thing, boss!" Jesse nodded enthusiastically. "Anything!"

"Uh huh, yeah, anything!" James piped up from behind her, nodding his head like a jackhammer.

"After studying Ash Ketchum," the boss continued, ignoring them, "We have concluded one thing -- he is easily distracted. By everything and anything--"

"Uh huh, yeah, anything!"

"--And especially by people in need. Our research group has concluded that if Ash comes across anyone that needs help, he won't be able to resist but help them!" The boss turned in his chair, chuckling.

"Uh huh, yeah, any--OWW!" James reeled, nursing three fresh scratch marks swiped across his face courtesy of the cranky feline beside him. "Meowth, what was that for?!"

"Will ya's be quiet so we can hear da boss?"

"Thank you, Meowth," the boss cut in, the annoyance evident in his voice.

Meowth swelled up with pride, a soft purr emitting from his chest. Visions of being the "Top Cat" danced in his head. "Sure thing, boss!" Meowth hummed happily, getting lost in his illusions of grandeur.

"As I was saying," the boss continued tersely, "If we distract that boy, we are sure to get that Pikachu!"

Unluckily for the boss, Jesse, James and Meowth were not paying attention to him. But luckily for Team Rocket, the boss wasn't paying attention to them either.

"There, there, James.." Jesse cooed, shooting the cat a dirty look. Meowth didn't notice, the illusions of being the boss's trademark pokemon still dancing in his thoughts. She patted James on the back. "If it makes you feel better, your hair doesn't look _nearly_ as messed up as it does when we usually get thrown into the air!" She looked over him, scrunching her eyes up. "Yes, it looks very tidy today. Very clean cut."

"Your assignment is to distract Ash Ketchum."

"Really?" James perked up. "Because I tried a new hair gel this morning!" His spirits immediately crashed back down, a realization dawning upon him. "Oh…"

Jesse sighed. James' emotions were like a roller coaster! "What now?"

"I was going for the messy look…"

"It is codenamed…" the boss paused dramatically, but the dramatic flourish was lost on Team Rocket, who were busy discussing hair tips. "Operation: Make Another Trainer Call for Help to Make Ash Ketchum Effectively Respond."

Jesse could have hit James. But, knowing that hair was always a sensitive issue that should be treated carefully, she opted not to. "Well," she trailed off, putting a finger to her lips. She scrunched her eyes even more. "In fact, it _does_ look messy!"

"Or for short -- Operation: MATCHMAKER."

James' face sprung back to hopeful as fast as Jesse could say 'prepare for trouble.' "Do you really think so?"

"Of course! You, err… must tell me how you do it." Jesse added the last part hesitantly -- her hair was great, and she knew it!

"Well," James began, one of his "scholarly" moments starting to take form. "First, I start with a little hair gel. Most people style when their hair is wet, but I like to towel dry. You put a big gloop of gel in your hands, like this." He demonstrated with exaggerated motions, like Jesse was stupid. "You take it and--"

"Jesse. James. Meowth." The boss's gruff voice cut through the air like a knife through a marshmallow. "Have you been paying attention?"

The two trainers and the pokemon snapped their heads up guiltily.

"…O-of c-c-ourse!"

"Dat's what top cats do, right boss?"

"Uh huh, yeah, anything!"

"Good. Starting as soon as possible, commence with Operation: MATCHMAKER. Do _not_ fail." With a harsh click, the boss hung up.

Jesse blinked. "Operation… MATCHMAKER?!"

"You mean…" James sputtered, disbelievingly, "The boss wants us…"

"…tah play matchmaker…"

"…with the twerps?!" Jesse finished the thought. She put a finger to her lip thoughtfully. "That shouldn't be _too _hard."

The three sat in silence, eyeing each other. Then, as if on cue, they all burst into tears.

"This is gonna be haaaard!" James whined. "Ash and Misty get along worse than Meowth and Persian!"

"I know, James, I know!" Jesse blew her nose, feigning mock bravery for her comrades. "But we have to do it for the boss! Just think of everything we'll be able to buy with the promotion we'll get if we do this!"

James sniffed. "If you say so…"

The trio was quiet again. And then they all burst into tears again.

"But Jesse, I don't wanna! Don't make me!"

Jesse, who would rather shave her head then interfere with _anything _that had to do with Ash and Misty's relationship, nodded her head profusely. "OK, I changed my mind, we don't have to--"

"We gotta do it for da boss! Or else I won't be da Top Cat!"

"Buzz off, Meowth."

Then, within a mile radius, a clawing noise, followed by a yelp of two humans, then the harsh cry of a Meowth being hit with a mallet could be heard. And then it was silent. And a split second later, if you listened closely, a collective bawling could be heard as Team Rocket burst into tears again, remembering their mission.

_**To be continued…**_

**A/N: **Oh no! Team Rocket wasn't paying attention! I wonder what they're gonna do…? ;-)Haha, well if you can't tell, I really like Team Rocket. You gotta love 'em, they're cool! I hope everyone liked this chapter, because I had a lot of fun writing it. See you in the next one! For now, please review if you have the time!

Comments/suggestions/_constructive_ criticisms are all welcome. :-P


	2. Two ll Three Strikes

**A/N:** First off, I apologize THIS MUCH (holds hands out really wide) for not getting this out sooner! School and junk have been taking up my whole life… I have no free time! I can't even read many stories on so I'm sorry if I'm not reviewing anything.

Thanks to all who reviewed! Trust me, without you guys, this part would probably be out in June when school's over. Haha. But now that Spring Break is here, I think I have some time to crank a couple of chapters out!

By the way, did I mention how sorry I was?

All disclaimers can be found on part one.

I apologize. For the third time. Heh.

* * *

**Operation: MATCHMAKER  
**By: xSPiNx

* * *

**Chapter Two: Three Strikes**

Just_ how_ Team Rocket gone from a dreaded pokemon organization, to a weird matchmaking service, Meowth didn't know. But, if the boss said that they had to play matchmaker with Ash and Misty, then they had to play matchmaker. After all, the boss was never wrong. Ever. And if Meowth wanted that coveted spot on the boss's soft chair… well, then he had to listen.

Jesse and James, however, had adapted well to their new mission objective. They were sitting on a log, carefully discussing their matchmaking tactics.

"Finally, a mission where I can put my skills to use!"

"I know, Jesse. No wonder the boss came to us for this one. He _obviously_ knows that our people skills are the best in the business!"

"Too bad we can't just give the girl a makeover…" Jesse frowned. "We could work wonders with a little makeup… then, who _wouldn't_ be able to resist her!"

"Is Ash old enough to… err… appreciate our work? Or is he still in that 'girls have cooties' stage?"

"Of course he's old enough! He's a teenage boy!" Jesse's eyes welled up. "It's a wonder how fast they grow up… it seems like just yesterday he was foiling our first plan…" She sniffed. "Anyway, it's the other spiky haired one we have to watch out for. Who _knows _what he might do if we unleash Misty's potential?"

"Well." James paused. "I guess we'll see what happens when we make her over!"

"You boneheads are forgettin' a thing or two…" Meowth interrupted calmly. "HOW ARE YOU GONNA GET DEM TO AGREE TO DIS!"

"Oh." James said, the realization dawning on him. "I hadn't thought of that… I guess we'll just have to cause a little mischief."

"We'll just force her to do it. And after that it's going to take more than a little mischief," Jesse purred, a twinkle in her eye.

James turned to Meowth fearfully. "I don't like the sound of her voice, Meowth…"

"Yeah, and dat twinkle in her eye can only mean one thing…"

That twinkle was one that Meowth and James knew well. And from previous experiences, they knew that it could only lead to one of two things one, a totally crazy plan that would somehow end with an unexpected blast off into the air, or two, a totally crazy plan that would be delusional enough to… work!

Jesse eyed James, her eyes gleaming. "It's going to take a little _romance_. After all, all's fair in love and pokemon, right?"

James didn't know why, but he had a steady sinking feeling in his stomach.

"But first, we have to get Misty. Are you ready to dig that hole, James?"

James perked up. After all, all great plans start with a hole. And if this plan had one, then how bad could it be?

* * *

"AIYEE! ASH!"

Her voice had interrupted his training with Pikachu. "Aww man, what did I do _this _time? Let's take a little break, OK buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu shot Ash a victory sign.

Ash hurriedly trotted back to the campsite, where he found Misty, with her back against a tree, shielding her face with her hands. She was crouched down, trying to make herself look smaller, and was kicking at something in front of her. Brock was standing beside her, looking thoroughly amused. He smirked. "Here comes your knight in shining armor, Misty."

Misty, who was too preoccupied with whatever it was she was kicking, didn't respond. Instead, in a slightly panicked voice, she whispered, "Get it away… get it… away!"

Ash looked at Brock, raising his eyebrows. Brock just smirked again, and motioned to Misty. "Be my guest, Ash. After all, she _did_ call for you."

Ash didn't know exactly how he should approach this situation. He crouched down to Misty's eye level, paused for a bit, and looked at Brock, who just shrugged. Finally, he said awkwardly, "Err… Yes, Misty?"

Misty pointed feebly at something behind Ash and whimpered.

Ash circled around slowly to catch a glimpse of a spinarak scurrying off into the overgrowth. "Um, there! It's gone now."

Brock looked at the two younger trainers with a knowing look, then shook his head. He cleared his throat. "Misty, do you need anything?"

Misty, who was still rattled from her little run in with the arachnid, just nodded feebly. "A little something to eat would be nice…"

Brock nodded. "Lemme just go wash up at the stream." They heard him trampling off in the bushes, when suddenly…

_**BOOM! CRASH!**_

"Oww," they heard Brock grunt. "Hey, where'd this hole come from!"

And then suddenly, in a disappointed voice: "Hey, dis ain't her! It's one of da other ones!"

Jesse's voice followed quickly. "We know that Meowth!"

"So what do we do now?" James piped up.

"Dis plan stinks!"

"Well," Jesse huffed indignantly. "Do either of you two have any bright ideas?"

"I do!" James' voice piped up again.

"I'm absolutely thrilled…" Jesse sighed sarcastically. "Alright, let's go back to the drawing board…"

Ash and Misty heard three pairs of footsteps crushing twigs and leaves, slowly fading away. Then, there was silence. And then, they heard Brock yelling weakly, "A little help here! This hole is deep!"

* * *

"In order to successfully complete Operation: MATCHMAKER, we have to get past a few obstacles. But luckily for us, I have a plan." James slid his "smart glasses" up his nose so that he could see clearly. In front of him was a blackboard, decorated with crudely drawn stick figures.

Jesse was sprawled out in front of the board with her head in her hands, clearly not impressed with the professor act. "And tell me again what this plan is?"

"Simple." James motioned to the board in front of him. "Twerp hates Twerpette." He gestured to a chalk drawing of Ash's head, with a mad expression on it's face. "But, if Twerpette is in trouble " he pointed to a picture of Misty screaming her head off "then, Twerp will come and save her!" He finished by showing Jesse a picture of Ash with his hat on backwards, and holding up a "V" with his fingers his victory pose.

"What's your point?"

"Isn't it obvious?" James pointed to a weird equation at the bottom of the board. It was a picture of Ash's face, followed by a plus sign, Misty's face, an equals sign, and a heart. Next to the heart was another equals sign, and next to that was a drawing of a Pikachu. After the Pikachu was _another_ equals sign, followed by a big dollar sign. James stood by it, pointing triumphantly. Jesse and Meowth just looked at him in utter confusion. They both looked at each other, shrugged, and then turned their attention back to James, who was beaming proudly by his work. Meowth was the first to break the silence.

"WHAT'S DAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!"

James shot their mascot a distasteful look. "Ash plus Misty equals love," he stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And Ash and Misty's love equals a Pikachu for Team Rocket. And a Pikachu for Team Rocket…" he trailed off, stars in his eyes. "A Pikachu for Team Rocket means a promotion!"

"But we know that already."

"Exactly."

"So what's da point of dis?"

James' face went blank. "I forgot." His face lit up again. "Oh yeah, I have a plan!"

Jesse and Meowth face faulted. This better work.

* * *

Sometimes, he confused her. There were those days when he would get her so mad that he couldn't be in her line of sight or she would let him have it, but other times, he would be so sweet that he would have her secretly smiling for days on end.

She sighed. Too bad the bad days usually outnumbered the good.

"Misty, can you get me some firewood? I'm having a little _trouble _starting the fire!"

The leaves in the trees above her rustled. Bending down, she picked up a stray branch. "No problem, Brock!"

But then again, Misty thought, he wasn't all too bad. Get past the snotty, immature attitude that all boys have at that age, and you'd be left with a pretty nice, caring guy that she could actually get along with. She sighed again. But how long would she have to wait for _that_ to happen? With Ash's denseness and slow development, it would probably be years…

"Misty?" Brock's head popped out of the clearing. "Where's the firewood? Are you having trouble?"

The leaves above Misty's head rustled again, this time more forcefully. "I CAN"T HELP MYSELF!"

"AIYEE!" Misty took off screaming. "WHAT WAS THAT!" _WHAM_. Fortunately for Misty, Brock saved her from running straight into a tree. Unfortunately for Brock, she pushed _him_ into the tree. Hard. Very Hard. Very, VERY hard. Leaves, twigs, and various pokemon fell out of the foliage from the shock as Brock collapsed into a convulsing heap on the ground. Little birdies dancing around his head, Brock made a feeble attempt to prop himself up on one shoulder. "I'm… fine…"

"HE SAID TROUBLE! TWICE!"

The voice sounded weirdly familiar, but Misty wasn't going to take any chances. She brandished a branch toward the talking leaves. "Who's there!"

"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!"

Misty groaned. She lowered, the branch, leaning on it as she waited for Team Rocket to finish their motto.

But instead, she just heard silence. And then again, in a more forceful voice: "PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!"

From the mess of leaves and branches, she heard James' voice. "Aww, but Jesse, I don't wanna… What about the plan!"

The tree rustled again, even more than before, and Misty could hear a slapping sound come from it. "Oww, Jesse, that hurt! Fine, make it double…"

"TO PROTECT THE WORLD FROM DEVASTATION!"

Silence. Then the bushes rustled again, and there was another thwomping sound. "OWW! To unite all people within our nation…"

"TO DENOUNCE THE EVILS OF TRUTH AND LOVE!"

"…to extend our reach to the stars above."

"JESSE!"

"…James…"

"TEAM ROCKET, BLAST OFF AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT!"

"…" The leaves rustled again, but this time, there was no smacking noise. "AHH! DON'T HIT ME AGAIN! OK, I'll say it, I'll say it! SURRENDER NOW OR PREPARE TO FIGHT! "

Another voice piped up halfheartedly. "Meowth… this ain't right…"

"There, now doesn't that make you feel better?" Jesse's voice had a much calmer tone to it. She took a deep breath. "I just can't help myself when I hear the word trouble! Now, to deal with you, Twerpette!" She turned around, doing a total 360. "…Twerpette?" But it was too late. Misty had already gone, with a barely conscious Brock following close behind her.

Jesse sniffed. "How rude! How dare they leave before the motto is finished!"

"Back to da drawing board…" Meowth scoffed. "But good thing for you guys, I have a plan. I always knew I was da brains behind dis operation!"

"Cut the small talk, will ya Meowth?"

"Yeah, what's the plan?"

"It's a simple one, but a classic. Da old Team Rocket approach!"

Ah, yes, the classic Team Rocket plan! How could they have forgotten it! Say the ol' motto, intimidate them with your ferocious pokemon, and get away with your prize! It was textbook, sure to work! And it had worked every time… err, almost every… err, well… it had worked for other Team Rocket members.

It was still worth a shot.

* * *

The sunset bounced off the trees of Viridian city. The sun floated calmly in the sky, casting shades of deep orange, purple and pink across the light blue sky. Occasionally, a puffy cloud would make it's way across the sunlight's warming rays, but other than that, it was the perfect welcome.

Ash Ketchum, of Pallet Town, was almost home.

He remembered when he first started his pokemon journey, the very spot he sat at now was the place that started it all. The spearow attack, that forged an unbreakable bond between him and Pikachu. The fears, the triumph, the thrill that made Ash believe that he actually _did_ want to become a pokemon master. The excitement ran through his bones again, and he felt like he could almost jump for joy.

"So this is where it all started, huh?"

Ash wheeled around slowly, already knowing who the voice belonged to. One other thing had happened here too. He had met Misty. And as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't of made it as far as he did without her _or_ Brock. They were always there to boost his confidence and give him valuable advice.

"Yup."

Misty walked closer slowly, then, after what seemed to be much deliberation to herself, sat down. She hugged her knees, resting her head. "It's hard to believe that this is where it all happened…"

"Yup."

"I mean, if it wasn't for you, I would still have my bike and be on my way to becoming the greatest water master this world has ever heard of!"

"Yup."

The pair sat in silence for the next couple of seconds, enjoying the view, until Ash got up. "Well, I'd better get back to camp…"

"Wait!" Ash turned around, and Misty bit her lip. _Quick and painless, just like pulling off a band aid,_ she told herself. After taking a deep breath, she walked up to him quickly and gave him a tight hug. "Thanksforsavingmethismorning!"

_Woah, hold on. Is she hugging me? She's hugging me! Wait, this is weird. Uh oh. Where do I put my hands?_ Ash suddenly realized that he had been standing awkwardly with his hands at his sides. Hesitantly, he lightly placed his hands around Misty, and hugged her back. "Uh, no problem?"

With her arms still around him, Misty took her head off of his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "No really, you don't understand. Thank you." She smiled at him, and at that moment, she just felt the irresistible urge to just kiss him. But she was sure that it was just the gratitude in her. But, if she ever wanted to, that moment was the perfect one to do so beautiful sunset in the background, touching heartfelt moment, yadda yadda…

She felt herself involuntarily moving closer to Ash, when suddenly, familiar cheesy villain music started playing the background. And then, from the bushes behind them, they heard a voice announce: "Prepare for trouble!"

The moment ruined, along with Misty realizing what an awkward position she was in, led her to jumping out of Ash's arms literally!

"And make it double!"

Misty groaned. Team Rocket had the absolute _worst_ timing! "Haven't you already _said_ your motto once today? Isn't there a limit?"

"To protect the hey, what's that supposed to mean? You don't enjoy the motto?"

"NO!"

Jesse was taken aback. "Well! If you aren't the most ungrateful little twerp! We try and try to spice up your day with our motto, and we get this in return." She sniffed, turning her nose upward. "Fine, we'll skip the formalities. Twerpette, you're coming with us!"

"Who's gonna make me? Pikachu, come here! We need you for a second." Misty smiled smugly at the trio, who were now fighting desperately to get behind each other for the inevitable electric shock soon to come.

"Pika?" Pikachu's fuzzy head popped out of the bushes.

"Do your thing, pikapal." Misty smirked at Team Rocket, and gave them a sly wink.

"PIKAAAACHUUU!"

**_ZAAAAAAAP! BOOM! _**"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

* * *

So, Team Rocket's day hadn't been as fruitful as they had thought. But, when all was said and done, they could proudly say that they still had their dignity.

Or something like that.

"I'm tired of losing all the time, Jessie! Why can't we win just once?"

"There, there. We don't lose _all_ the time. The twerps just always win." She frowned at her own logic. Because they both knew the simple truth if someone had been keeping score, it would have been Ash and Company, ninety-nine million, and Team Rocket, one half. On a scale of one through ten, the chances of Team Rocket's success were about as good as a negative number. "Speaking of the twerps, isn't that one of them?" She motioned to a spiky haired figure in the clearing.

The person heard them coming an whirled around. "Who's there!" When he saw that it was Team Rocket, he relaxed. "Oh, it's just you."

Jesse ignored him. "Where are the lovebirds?"

Brock involuntarily shuddered. "Don't mention them. Every time I've been around them today, something bad seems to happen!" He muttered something inaudible about trees and holes in the weirdest places.

Suddenly, Jesse's eyes twinkled. "How would you like to prevent all those injuries?"

"Hmm. And how would I do that?"

"Easy. Team up with us!"

"Jesse, what are you"

Jesse promptly hit James over the head, shutting him up. She hissed, "Quiet! We need someone on the inside! Think about it. If the twerps always win…"

"… and we recruit one of the twerps…" James' eyes glimmered as he caught Jesse's drift. He turned to Brock, smiling cheekily. "So how about it. Wanna be our partner?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Becaaaaause… by our magnificent logic, and after much research, we have discovered that Ash and Misty… err, belong together. And if they spend less time and energy arguing with each other, they get to, err, spend more time enjoying the better things in life. And each other's company." Jesse smirked. _And less time thinking about that Pikachu!_

It took a couple of seconds for Team Rocket's logic to finally click in Brock's head.. What they were saying actually made sense! And now that he thought about it, his life _would_ be easier if Ash and Misty got together. No more loud arguments, no more bickering, no more resolving problems, and a lot more silence. And, a lot less time watching over Ash and Misty, and a lot _more_ time doing the finer things in life like scoping out hot girls. He thought for a while, then nodded mischievously. "I'm in."

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

**A/N:** Heh. A little longer than my usual installments, but I really wanted to fit this all in one chapter. Just a few things to ponder what exactly is Ash going to do in Pallet? Why was Misty so thankful to be saved by Ash? And WHY did Team Rocket have to interrupt them? (Gah, don't you hate it when authors do that whole "interrupted moment" thing? Heh. Sorry, I had to do it!)

Expect a NIIIICE healthy dose of rocketshippy in the next couple of parts. The reason that it hasn't been showing up yet is mainly for plot reasons. Haha, you'll understand in the next part. So don't fret, faithful rocket shippers!

Sorry again for the long wait for this part! I haven't had any free time lately, and it doesn't help that the internet wasn't working at my house. It's fixed now, so hopefully things can get rolling now.

Just a little note as I don't have much time anymore, I won't be updating as regularly as I used to (haha, as you've probably figured out, because it took me four months to get this part out!) And, I don't have any time to proofread, etc, so does anyone want to be my proofreader/beta reader/idea giver? Good grammar and English skills, please! ) Leave your email if you're interested.

With that said, take care everyone, and tell me what you think if you have the time!


	3. Three ll A Friendly Wager

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Contrary to popular belief, I AM alive! Yes, I know I said that I would try to get this out sooner. And yes, I know that that was in March. Heh. Please, forgive me. I was hoping that I would get a chance to write during the summer… which I did. But, it was, err… for another fandom (Teen Titans). Heh. My apologies! I found this chapter half-written on my hard drive and then felt really guilty about not continuing this fic - plus, I checked my email, and a couple of people reviewed, which made me feel even MORE guilty. So here you go!

Dedicated to all those who read and reviewed the first two chapters. Seriously, without all of you, this would DEFINITELY have stayed half-written on my hard drive!

And so the moral of the story is -- if you ever want me to pick up a fic and finish writing it, just bug me about it, I'll feel guilty, and tah-dah!

All disclaimers can be found on Part One.

Heh. OK, onto the story!

**---------------------------------------------------  
Operation: MATCHMAKER  
_By: xSPiNx_  
---------------------------------------------------**

**-----  
Chapter Three: A Friendly Wager  
-----**

"We're finally here!" Ash dropped his bags and ran excitedly to the front door, Pikachu bobbing uncontrollably on his head.

"Pika!" The pokemon squealed excitedly, enjoying the ride.

After a day of backpacking and camping through Viridian Forest, the trio of pokemon trainers had finally made it to Pallet. And in just enough time. Misty had had about enough with all the weirdness that had been taking place.

For one, Ash had been acting exceptionally weirder than usual. Whenever she asked him exactly _why_ they were traveling to Pallet Town, he would shoot her a goofy smirk and a mysterious answer of "You'll see, Misty." And both of these things could infuriate a girl to no end, especially when stuck in the forest. And, with no outlet to vent her frustration in the forest, Misty was _this close_ to taking out her mallet, whacking first, and asking questions later.

And two, Brock was acting about as weird as Ash was! He was acting very sneakily, and Misty suspected that he was hiding something as well. He would disappear every so often with lame excuses, and come back acting more suspicious than ever.

Pair that with the sudden disappearance of Team Rocket, (whom she had seen daily for the past couple of years), and Misty didn't know _what_ to think. She was just glad that she finally had somewhere to stay with a soft bed, a hot shower, and most importantly, a sane mind. Sure, Mrs. Ketchum's constant reminders to Ash to change his underwear were a tad bit… excessive, but right now, Misty was not going to be picky.

Plus, it would be nice to have another female to talk to.

"Ash!" Mrs. Ketchum's warm voice could melt a glacier. "How are you? How was the trip? Are you hungry? Do you have enough money?" She stopped her assault of questions for a split second to try and fix Ash's messy hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ash's companions. "Brock, Misty!" She cried, her arms outstretched. "How have you been? I'm so glad that you were able to make it!"

"We're good, Mrs. Ketchum." Misty replied, beaming. Ash's mom had the unmistakable air of a parent. She always wanted to make sure that everyone and everything was taken care of.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Come in!" She beckoned, extending her arm towards the door. "I was expecting everyone to arrive a little bit later, but it'll only take me a minute to fix you something to eat."

"Oh no, it's fine mom-"

"Nonsense! Growing kids like you need to have something to eat!"

"You're right, Mrs. Ketchum," Brock cut in quickly, a sly glint in his eyes. "Lemme give you a hand in the kitchen. Ash and Misty can get settled down. And, you know what?" Brock shot Ash and Misty a sugar coated smile. "Ash can even give Misty a tour of the house!"

Mrs. Ketchum's eyes lit up. "Yes, that's a fantastic idea! Ash, would you mind…?"

"But, mom--"

"Thank you, Ash," Mrs. Ketchum added, her smile unwavering. Ash sighed. He knew better than to disobey his mother. Plus, the sooner he could get out of there without his mother reminding him to change his underwear the better.

"It would be my pleasure," Ash nodded grudgingly.

"Misty will be staying in the guest room," Mrs. Ketchum added helpfully, ignoring her son. "Brock, you can put your things in Ash's room."

This statement hung in the air for a moment as Ash thought about it. "Wait a minute," he finally replied. "My room? So where am _I_ going to sleep?"

Mrs. Ketchum had everything thought of. "I've set up a futon in your room, Ash, so you can share with Brock." Brock's eyes lit up mischievously at this, but no one noticed. Mrs. Ketchum continued. "It should be just like when you camp out!" She disappeared behind the counter as she bent over to gather her various cooking supplies. When she reappeared, her arms were overflowing with ladles, pots, pans, and other utensils. Ash could barely see her from beyond the mountain of cookware. In fact, if he didn't know better, he would have thought that the massive mound of pots were talking to him.

Ash scratched his head. Now there was a thought. He wondered if there were some weird, undiscovered pokemon that resembled pots and pans. After all, there were things that resembled rocks, animals, plants… so why not cookware? And if it existed, he had the perfect name for it: Potosaurus. Or something like that…

Suddenly, the giant mound of cookware started talking, and Ash jumped nearly a foot in the air. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Sighing deeply, Ash turned slowly to Misty, who was leaning awkwardly against the kitchen counter. "You can follow me," Ash grumbled again. He started walking up the stairs to the second floor, but a light tugging at his right leg stopped him. He looked down and was greeted by a stern looking Pikachu, who looked like someone had just stolen his prized bottle of ketchup.

Ash suddenly felt guilty, although he had no idea why. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Pi pika, pikachu? (Shouldn't you help her with that?)" Pikachu's eyes shot quickly to Misty's belongings. Her book bag lay at her feet, it's pockets bulging with supplies. Alongside it was a slightly larger bundle which appeared to house some of Misty's clothes, as well as camping equipment including her tent. Misty struggled in vain to lift them herself, and almost succeeded, but the balancing act proved to be futile, and the bags came crashing down back to the floor.

Ash sighed. "Aww, but Pikachu…"

"Pikapi… (Ash…)" Pikachu growled, the red sacs of static electricity on his cheeks glowing dangerously.

"You wouldn't."

"Pi, pika. (Oh, I would.)"

"Look, Pikachu," Ash hissed, "If she made it through the forest with all that stuff, she can make it up the stairs to the guest room."

"Pikapi! (Ash!)" Pikachu scolded sharply. The static from the pokemon's cheeks continued to sparkle.

Ash sighed, turning his back to his pokemon. "Fine." Turning to Misty with an overly forced smile, he held his hands out like a kid asking for candy. Misty looked at him quizzically, still trying to balance her luggage in her hands.

"Err, I can take that for you, Misty. If you want, that is." He added the last part hopefully.

Misty dropped her bags in surprise, and unfortunately, they landed right on Ash's feet. "OWW! WHAT THE--"

Ash's howls of agony were quickly -- and fortunately -- interrupted by Pikachu, who chose the perfect moment to shock his owner. "Pi, pikapi. Pikachu chu pi pika? (Wow, Ash. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?)"

Ash feebly emitted a noise that sounded like a squeak. Trying to cradle his feet in his hands, he ungracefully fell to the floor, burnt to a crisp. Another weak squeak escaped his lips, and he shot his faithful pokemon (whom he was now looking eye-to-eye with), an extremely deadly look.

And to put the icing on the cake, from the other room, Ash could clearly hear his mother calling. "Oh, and Ash, I forgot! Don't forget to change your underwear! Every. Single. Day."

----------

"Stop pushing, James, they might hear us!"

"But Jesse! I wanna seeeee…"

Jesse rolled her eyes. That voice! How did she put up with it? The constant whining, the complaints… it was enough to drive a girl crazy! "Wait your turn!" she snapped huffily, shoving his head out of the way and into Mrs. Ketchum's prized flower garden. James sat stubbornly on the ground, picking flower petals out of his teeth and pouting like a little kid.

After a couple of days of strategizing, (which were, in actuality, a few days of Team Rocket spitting out random ideas only to be rejected flatly by Brock), Jesse decided to take things into her own hands. After all, _she_ was the one who invited _him_ to join them. _She _was the one who ran things. So why should she be listening to him, anyway?

Squishing her face closer into the windowpane, Jesse squinted her eyes to try to get a better view of the interior of the Ketchum household. Luckily for her, the curtains were drawn to allow sunlight into the room, but from what she could see, the room she was unoccupied. It was, however, furnished very cozily. Across the window on the other side of the room was a television, and across from that was a very comfortable looking overstuffed sofa. On either side of the sofa sat two plush looking armchairs. The walls were decorated with various pictures of Ash and his family.

"Jesse, over here!" James called from another window, interrupting Jesse's surveillance.

"What now, James?"

"Look, there's Brock! Do you think I should say hi?"

"JAMES!" Jesse hissed dangerously, bolting over to the window her partner was standing at and nearly bowling him over. "If you draw _any_ attention to us, I'll make sure it's the last thing you do."

James, whose arm was halfway raised to knock on the window, lowered it guiltily.

"Let me see, James."

"But Jesse," her partner pointed out triumphantly, "what about waiting your turn?"

Jesse rolled her eyes again, and promptly proceeded to reintroduce James to Mrs. Ketchum's flowerbed. "Fine," he muttered from below her, rubbing his head. "We can share."

That problem resolved, James got back on his feet and smashed his face closer to Jesse's in a feeble attempt to see anything he could from the small kitchen window. From what he could gather, the window was located just above the sink. Across from the sink in the middle of the kitchen was an island counter, where the stove was located. And, in front of the stove, with his back turned toward the window, was Brock, merrily stirring away at a skillet and whistling a random tune.

"I wonder if he can sneak some of that food out to us…?" James mused.

"Oh, don't be silly James -- ooh, is that a cheeseburger?"

"I think so, Jesse!" Brock did an elaborate flip with whatever was frying in the skillet, and the contents of his cooking started to sizzle. James started to drool, wide eyed. "Jesse?" He whined again, tapping her on the shoulder. "I'm hungry. Can we get something to eat?"

Sighing, Jesse almost smacked him into Mrs. Ketchum's flowers for the third time, but a rumble from her stomach stopped her. "We'll see, James. Meowth's off trying to get spare change as we speak, so maybe we'll be able to buy something." She turned to her right, to give her partner a comforting pat on the back.

It was at this exact moment that the two Team Rocket members noticed just exactly how close they were to each other. Because they had to squish their faces together to get a good look through the window, now that they were looking right at each other, their faces were only separated by about an inch. In fact, their noses were almost touching.

James shot Jesse a goofy grin, which, for the first time, made Jesse's knees shaky. "Good," he said. "I'm hungry."

Jesse could only nod, at a loss for words. James turned back to the window, licking his lips as he looked thoughtfully at Brock's skillet. Now that Jesse's knees had regained their full functionality, they had her thinking. Why, exactly, did she get weak at the knees a couple of seconds ago?

She glanced to her partner in would-be crime again, and her stomach rumbled again. Hunger, she decided, did weird things to her head.

"Look, Jesse," James pointed out, oblivious to the stare he was getting, "Brock's coming over to the window! I wonder if he's bringing any food?"

Suddenly, Jesse felt a sharp pain in the side of her head as Brock swung the window open, inadvertently slamming Jesse and James into the soft, damp soil of the flower garden.

If Jesse wasn't trying to be undercover, Brock would have gotten an earful. But, luckily for the would-be breeder, Jesse was trying to lay low. "Pull another stunt like that, Slate, and it'll be your last," she hissed dangerously, calmly picking a flower out of her hair.

"Sorry," Brock apologized hastily, dropping his voice. "But what are you two doing out here? I thought that we decided that I would go through with Phase One of the plan alone."

"Listen, twerp. _You_ are the one that's working with _us_. I think its time for us to call the shots."

"Yeah," James agreed. "And the first thing we're asking for is a cheeseburger!"

Never missing an opportunity, Jesse didn't even look as she knocked James out of the way of the window. "Actually, the first thing we need to know is where everyone is staying. How do you expect us to play matchmaker if we don't know where our targets are?"

"And," James popped in from under the window, eyeing Brock distastefully, "a change of clothes. That apron is delightfully tacky." He wrinkled his nose at Brock's choice of apparel.

"What's wrong with my apron?" Brock asked huffily. He looked down at it fondly. It was white, with pink flowers and laces adorning the outside. Across the front of his chest was red scrawl saying "Kiss the Cook."

"Oh, nothing," Jesse replied her words oozing with sarcasm. "Anyway, where are the lovebirds staying?"

Brock opened his mouth to answer, but quickly turned over his shoulder after hearing the distinct sound of Ash and Misty starting one of their famous arguments. "Oh no," he groaned. "I'll meet with you two sometime later! I gotta break up a fight!" With a swift slam of the window, he was gone.

"Well, that was useless," Jesse growled.

"I know! We didn't even get any cheeseburgers!"

Jesse face faulted. This time, _she_ was the one getting acquainted with Mrs. Ketchum's flower garden.

----------

He was _so_ going to get her back. Sure, she had everyone _else_ convinced that it was an accident, but he knew better. She was standing about a million feet away when she had dropped her bags, so the only way they could have possibly landed near him would be if she threw them. You had to get up pretty early in the morning to pull the wool over Ash Ketchum's eyes.

"I'm telling you, Ash," Brock said for what must have been the millionth time. "She couldn't have possibly thrown them!"

The two trainers had settled down in Ash's room, which, Brock had noted, was decorated like it housed a four year old. The walls were painted a light baby blue, and were covered with posters of trainers and pokemon. Little cardboard cutouts of various pokemon hung from string from the ceiling. The bed, which Brock was lounging on, was lined with sheets that had baby pokemon on them, like Jigglypuff and Clefairy. In fact, Brock was half expecting the bed to be in the shape of a racecar or something, but to his dismay, it wasn't.

It was shaped like a Charizard.

"How would _you_ know," Ash accused from his position on the futon, still bitter over earlier that morning. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "For all _I _know, you could have been in on it, too. After all, you _were_ the one who arranged the whole 'tour of the house' thing…"

Brock only sighed. "She could barely lift her own bags, let alone throw them at you."

"That's what she _wants_ us to think."

"But did you have to be so hard on her? I think you might have hurt her feelings when you called her a 'clumsy little runt.'"

"Ka pikachu? (You think?)" Pikachu snorted from the foot of Ash's bed. It was a good thing for the little rodent that Ash didn't notice, or else he might of recalled that it was in fact Pikachu's idea for Ash to help Misty with her bags.

This time, Ash shrugged. "I was trying to help! And then she goes and throws her things at me. Am I not supposed to get mad if someone throws their luggage at my feet?"

"For the last time, Ash, she didn't throw--"

"And what on Earth could she have possible packed in those bags? They felt like they were full of bricks. It makes me even wonder why I'm going through all this trouble just for her--" Ash caught himself, mid sentence, then turned to Brock with a guilty expression on his face.

But it was too late. Brock had already heard what Ash had started to say. "And why exactly are you going through all this trouble, again?"

"No reason." Ash shifted in his bed guiltily.

"Ash."

"Oh, um. I was just, err, talking about… trying to help her out. You know. Carrying her bags for her to her room, and things like that." He flashed Brock a quick grin, then cocked his head toward the door, straining to hear something. "Gotta go, my mom's calling me!"

"Chu, pika… (Yeah, right…)" Pikachu snorted.

"You know, Ash," Brock said smoothly, "I _could_ tell Misty that you're planning something."

Ash, who was halfway out of the door, stopped dead in his tracks. "That would work," he stuttered, "if I were planning something. Which, I'm not."

"Sure you're not."

"Pika pika, pikachu (Sure, that's believable.)" Pikachu chortled, obviously amused at the fact that his trainer wasn't paying any attention to his comments.

"I'm not!"

"Well, I'll tell you what, then," Brock countered swiftly. "I promise I won't tell Misty anything if you make me a deal."

"Fine."

"Aha!" Brock cried, jumping up from his bed. "If you weren't planning anything then you wouldn't have agreed with me but you _did_ agree with me which must mean you are planning something so tell me what you're planning or else I'll tell Misty that you're planning something and then you won't even get a chance to finish planning what you're planning!" Brock convulsed into a heap on his bed, panting.

Ash was silent for a while. Then, in a confused voice, said: "Huh? Can I have the shortened version, please?"

Brock sweat dropped. "I know you're planning something. And, I won't tell Misty as long as you agree to make a deal with me."

After a while, Ash spoke up. "Fine! Ash Ketchum _never _backs down from a challenge. What is it?"

Brock smiled mischievously. "You have to be nice to Misty for a whole week. Starting with an apology for this afternoon. You really hurt her feelings, man."

Ash's face dropped. After a while of thought, he triumphantly raised his fist in the air. "I'll do it! But, on one condition. If I win, then you have to give up hitting on all the random Joys and Jennys for one week too."

"Hey! Don't drag them into this!" Brock replied, fighting back a dreamy look in his eyes. "What do you have against them, anyway?"

"It's embarrassing. C'mon, Brock-o. If I have to be nice to _her_, then you have to give up something too."

"Chu ka pikachu pika cha pikachu. (Five bucks says both of you don't make it past Thursday.)"

"Fine…" Brock grumbled. He stuck his hand out grudgingly. "Deal?"

Ash took it, and shook it firmly. "Deal."

_**To be continued…**_

----------

**A/N:** First off, I have to ask you wonderful readers something! At first, this chapter was a lot lengthier, but I decided to cut it down into parts. Would you prefer shorter chapters (around this length), or longer ones?

Haha, wow I _really_ had a lot of fun writing this part, and hopefully everyone enjoyed reading it, too. Even though I felt like the dialogue and writing was a little bit rushed and went in circles at the end, I really wanted to get this part out before I start moving all my stuff, or I would have never posted it. Tell me what you think! REVIEW PLEASE! As an author, I live on them. And you wouldn't want me to disappear again, would you? Eh… never mind, don't answer that.

Btw, I might not update this as frequently… I move into my dorm room soon (AHH! IM STARTING COLLEGE!) and I definitely think that I'm going to need some time to adjust. Plus, I have another fic in the working (if you watch Teen Titans, check it out! It's called "Beauty and the Beast Boy.") But, if school hasn't totally taken over my life, I might crank out a couple chapters.

Until next time!


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